Growing Bergamot Monarda Fistulosa

Growing Requirements

• Wild bergamot requires dry, well-drained soil and at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day, as wild bergamot grown in partial shade is more prone to mildew. Because it grows to heights of up 4 feet, wild bergamot benefits from a location near a fence where the plant can be tied if it begins to bend over.

Seeds

• Although you can purchase seeds from garden stores specializing in wildflowers, you can easily harvest your own seeds from spent blooms in late summer or early autumn. Allow the seeds to dry in a paper bag over the winter, and then plant them after the ground thaws in spring. Cultivate the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, using a hoe or shovel. Sprinkle the seeds on the ground, and then cover them with a thin layer of soil equal to twice the thickness of the seeds. Keep the soil lightly moist until the seeds germinate in about nine days.

Division

• Division of existing plants in spring offers an effective way to propagate new bergamot plants. Division also helps keep mature plants neat and tidy in your garden, as wild bergamot can become invasive if allowed to grow uncontrolled. To divide bergamot, dig up a portion of a mature clump. If the clump is large, pull the roots apart into several smaller divisions, each with four or five healthy roots. Replant the bergamot, allowing about 18 inches between each division. Then water the divisions immediately.

Care

• Because Monarda fistulosa is a wildflower, it requires little care. While domestic bergamot benefits from fairly moist soil, wild bergamot is a dry land plant. Keep the soil moist until the plant is established and shows healthy new growth, but after that time, water only during periods of hot, dry weather. Divide wild bergamot every two to three years to keep mature plants healthy. Removing blooms as they fade in midsummer often results in a second flush of blooms.